Associate Vice Chancellor & Chief of Campus Safety

The University of Denver (DU) seeks an experienced, collaborative, and community-oriented Campus Safety leader to serve as its next Associate Vice Chancellor and Chief of Campus Safety. The expected start date is late fall 2025.

Responsibilities of the Position

Reporting to the chief risk and compliance officer, the associate vice chancellor and chief of campus safety (chief) directs the work of the department of campus safety (DCS). The department comprises 40 unsworn and unarmed team members who provide services in campus security, fire and life safety, emergency preparedness, electronic security systems, patrol operations, investigations, community outreach/crime prevention, recruitment efforts, accreditation and compliance, and communications. The chief leads the university’s incident management team, acting as the incident commander, and serves as the university’s primary liaison with the City of Denver police, fire, emergency medical services, and emergency preparedness departments, as well as with other external law enforcement, government, and public safety entities.

Key duties of the chief of campus safety include the following:

Leadership and Vision

• Serves as the university’s chief safety officer, responsible for protecting life and property, preserving peace, maintaining order, and directing the enforcement of all federal, state, and local laws within the jurisdiction of the university and university regulations.
• Establishes a vision and clearly defines the department’s mission and goals based on current needs and future expectations, and in alignment with the overall mission and goals of the university.
• Establishes the tone and expectations of the department through leading by example.
• Plans, organizes, and directs DCS’s operations, activities, programs, and functions, and consistently promotes its mission.
• Formulates and updates the department’s ongoing overall strategies on an as-needed basis.
• Establishes goals for implementing department values, philosophies, and principles that improve quality of life in the community and the workplace.
• Ensures a structure and systems that address departmental as well as internal and external community needs.

Collaboration and Community Engagement

• Through collaboration and partnership with the university community, develops and implements a community caretaking philosophy that supports campus safety and a shared sense of security and well-being.
• Collaborates with senior leadership, student affairs, student organizations, faculty, staff, and other key stakeholders to ensure DCS’s work reflects DU’s goal of building an inclusive and caring community.
• Develops and executes emergency management plans, coordinates with university stakeholders, and provides guidance and direction in emergency preparedness planning and implementation.
• Promotes public cooperation and goodwill with all members of the university and surrounding communities
• Coordinates the department’s activities with other agencies concerned with law enforcement (e.g., Denver Police Department) and public safety (e.g., City of Denver and Denver Fire Department).
• Demonstrates knowledge and practice of contemporary community-oriented campus safety initiatives.

Administration and Compliance

• Ensures departmental compliance and maintains sufficient knowledge of federal, state, and local laws, case law, and regulations relating to campus safety and law enforcement methods and practices, including rules of criminal procedure, laws governing search and seizure, and rules of evidence.
• Leads and manages all aspects of compliance with the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act and all associated regulations.
• Leads and manages all aspects of the departmental accreditation process.
• Provides the most effective and efficient utilization of the department’s human, fiscal, and property resources.
• Formulates the annual departmental budget with the chief risk and compliance officer and has authority over all budget expenditures.
• Directs the preparation of internal reports to outside agencies in conformance with federal and state laws, university regulations, or departmental policy.
• Recommends and implements policy established by the university regarding public safety, law enforcement, traffic and parking, and emergency preparedness.
• Maintains a transparency dashboard for campus safety with key performance indicators.

Staff Management and Development

• Organizes, equips, and trains DCS staff and the command leadership team to provide the campus community with state-of-the-art and responsive security services.
• Establishes mechanisms that recruit